A recent study published in the Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition highlights the potential of photosynthetic cyanobacteria to revolutionize tomato cultivation. Researchers from the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, evaluated how Anabaena torulosa and Anabaena laxa enhance soil fertility, plant metabolism, and fruit nutritional quality in three tomato cultivars — Pusa Cherry 1, Pusa Roma, and NS4266 — when applied through multiple modes.
The team used cyanobacterial inoculants both as seed/media priming and as aqueous preparations for post-transplantation soil drenching and foliar spraying. Among the treatments, seed priming with A. laxa followed by drenching (and selective foliar spray) produced the most remarkable effects.
In Pusa Cherry 1, this multi-modal cyanobacterial application:
- Increased soil dehydrogenase activity by 19.2%, polysaccharides by 26.5%, and glomalin by 64.9%, indicating heightened microbial activity and soil health.
- Enhanced leaf nitrate reductase activity by 61.8% and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) by 16%, showing stimulated nitrogen metabolism and hormonal signaling.
- Improved fruit yield up to two-fold, with lycopene content rising 1.9-fold and phenolic compounds by 28% compared to controls.
Statistical analyses confirmed that the A. laxa–Pusa Cherry 1 interaction produced the most significant improvements across soil, leaf, and fruit parameters. Mantel correlation tests revealed that increased leaf pigments and IAA were strongly associated with higher fruit lycopene and phenol content, suggesting a direct biochemical linkage between plant physiology and fruit quality.
The findings underscore the promise of cyanobacteria as natural biostimulants capable of enhancing soil–plant–microbe interactions, promoting sustainable yield improvement, and enriching the nutritional profile of tomatoes without synthetic inputs.
Reference
Varsha, D., Bhardwaj, A., Prasanna, R. et al. Invigorating Soil-Plant Productivity to Improve Fruit Quality in Cherry Tomato Through Multi-Modal Application of Cyanobacteria. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-025-02726-z
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